Bottle-stoppering.



. KNIGHT.

BOTTLE STOPPBRING. APPLICATION FILED mm1?, 1911.

Patented May 7, 1912.

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IWI/ewig?" fem?, aww Jfwcb'yfva 'UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PERCY J. KNIGHT, 0F LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR OF ONEFFOURTH T0 FRANCIS SMITH, OF LISCARCD, WALLASEY, ENGLAND.

BOTTLEFSTOPPERING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 7, 1912.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, PERCY JOHN KNIGHT, a subject of the King of England, residing'at Liverpool, in the county of Lancas-` ter, England, have lnventedfcertain new and useful Improvements Connected with Bottle-Stopperings, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to stopper'-` ing bottles, and more particularly to that kind in which the stopper proper, is of the screw 7 type; and it has primarily for its object, to provide improvements in connection with Stoppers of this kind, by which the bottle in, or in connection with which they are used, cannot, when empty, be refilled and reclosed or stoppered by the retailer of the liquid contents of the bottle, or the holder of the bottle, (unless specially authorized 'or licensed so to do), and can only be re-stoppered, after re-filling, by the maker or general supplier of the liquid goods. The general object of preventing this re-stoppering being done, is to prevent bottles bearing a label, or a distinguishing mark of a maker or supplier of a certain character or quality of liquid goods, being refilled with liquid of another maker or supplier, and re-stoppered and sold, as the liquid ofthe maker or supplier named on, or known by the said label or distinguishing mark.

In the following description, the improvements connected with bottle stopperings according to this invention, are comprised; and in the accompanying drawings they are illustrated, and in connection with these drawings, the description is made.

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of the stopperings; and Fig. Q, is a plan in section.

The stopper proper l shown in the drawing, is of the usual screw or threaded type, having a rubber or like ring or washer 2 on it, for making a fiuid tight joint between the body of the stopper, and the mouth of the bottle.

The head 3 of the stopper is inclosed or held within an outer cap 4, which is pref erably of metal, and the inner edge of which comes under the shoulder on the inside of l the stopper head 3, and holds the cap on the stopper head. The cap has a central hole 5 in it, for the purpose hereinafter eX- plained; and it also has a small hole G in it at a point between its center and the periphery, within which fits a pin 7, which is free to move up and down it, in a direction parallel wit-h the axis of the cap and stopper, and is guided and kept in this parallel position by the material of the cap surrounding the hole.

The head 3 of this stopper proper has in the upper or outer surface of it, a groove 8, the bottom of which forms an inclined plane, inclining down gradually from the upper surface of the head 3, to its termination, which of course is the deepest point; and over and in connection with this inclined plane and groove 8, the head of the pin 7 of the cap 4 works; and the groove and the plane are so arranged, that when the cap 4 is turned in the direction in which the stopper screws out of the bottle, the pin 7 will move down the inclined bottom of this groove, and come in contact with the material at the end of the groove, and so engage the stopper, and turn it and unscrew it. On the other hand, if the cap 4 be turned in the opposite direction, the pin 7 simply slides up the inclined bottom 'of the groove 8, after having dropped into it, and so revolves idly over the stopper head, that is without turning it or affecting it.

The mode of or means for turning the stopper l so as to screw it in, and stopper the bottle, after refilling, consists in the employment of a scotch7 device adapted to be introduced into the path of the cap pin 7, when moved up in the screwing up direction, so that when the cap is turned in this direction, the cap pin comes against the scotch which will be held by the stopper head; and through its intervention, the stopper is turned and screwed into the bottle, after the bottle has been re-lilled. This scotch device, in the case shown, consists of two parts, namely, a central part or head 9, and a radial projecting or tongue part 10, the underside of which is inclined as shown; and the device is introduced through the hole 5 of the cap 4, the point of the projecting or tongue part 10 being passed into a. radial slot 11, leading out of a central hole 12 in the head or body of the stopper 1, the bottom of which radial slot is inclined. The central part or head 9 has an aperture 16 through it, through which is passed a spring 17, the ends of which are bowed upward, and project above the head, and beyond its periphery, the extremities lying, when in place, underneath the edge of the metal of the cap 4 surrounding the hole 5, beneath which the material of the head 3 is removed, forming an annular recess. The object and effect of the spring is to prevent the scotch being removed from the stopper by unauthorized persons.

The scotch device will be only sup plied or legitimately used by those author* ized or properly entitled to fill the bottles; and as stated, after filling thef bottle, the scotch is introduced into position, as shown in Fig. 1, and its outer end passes into the radial groove leading from the hole 12 in the stopper body, and into a position in front of the pin 7, across the groove S; while its head 9 will lie within the center hole of the cap.

After use in the manner described, the head 9 of the scotch device is broken off by pressing it downward into the hole 12; and when broken it may lodge on a ledge 13 in the hole, which will be made of just suflicient size to make the head 9 a nice fit within the upper portion of it; or in other words, it fills it. The engaging end` or tongue portion 10 of the scotch slides, when broken off, down the inclined radial groove 11, toward the center of the stopper, and falls into the hole 12, under the lower edge of the cap 9, resting on ledge 13. In this condition, that is with the scotch out of the way, the stopper 1 cannot be screwed in; and until and unless a new scotch device is available, the bottle after being emptied, cannot be re-stoppered after relling.

The scotch device head 9, may, at the part 14, where the tongue joins it, be of reduced or weak section, by which when the head is pressed down in the manner described, it will readily break l away from the tongue portion 10. Also, in some cases, the head of scotch device may have a cut or slot across the center, at the upper surface, similar to that in a wood screw, to enable it to be readily broken.

The scotch device may be made of any suitable material, such as pottery or equivalent material, or one of the weaker metals or alloys, or the like.

A rod 15, on which the cap is slidable and rotatable, may be used and secured to the bottle neck, or body, as may be convenient or desirable; or the cap may be held or secured to the bottle in any other suitable way.

The invention may be further applied to existing Stoppers of the screw type, as well as to new ones, and when applied to the former, they only require the grooves 8 and 11 of the hole 12 t-o be cut or formed in them.

What is claimed is 1. In a bottle stopper, the combination of a threaded body 1; a cap or device connected with the part of the said body which comes outside the bottle, and adapted to be rotated in relation to same; and a vertically movable means in said cap, adapted to move into engagement with a part of the said stopper body, when rotated in one direction, but inoperative upon same, when moved in the other direction; substantially as described.

2. In a bottle stopper, the combination of a threaded body 1; a cap or device connected with the part of the said body, which comes outside the bottle, and adapted to be rotated in relation to same; a vertically movable means in said cap, adapted to move into engagement with a part of the said stopper body, when rotated in one direction, but inoperative upon same when moved in the other direction; and a scotching` device adapted to bxe introduced to the side of the said vertical movable means away from the part of the stopper which said vertical movable means engages when moved in one direction, whereby said stopper body is rotated when the cap or like device is revolved in the opposite direction; substantially as described.

3. In a bottle stopper, the combination of a threaded body 1; a` cap or device 4, fitting over the head of the stopper body, and engaging same, and adapted to be rotated in relation to same; an inclined groove, as 8, in the upper surface of the stopper body; a pin 7 movable vertically in the cap 4, and adapted to operate in a groove; a central hole in the cap, and the stopper body, respectively; and a gap or way extending between the hole in the stopper body, and the groove 8; substantially as set forth.

4. In a bottle stopper, the combination of the body 1; cap 4 rotatable thereon, having a central aperture 5; a pin 7 working vertically in and carried by the cap; and a scotching device adapted to be inserted into the cap and the stopper body, and having an outer end 10, adapted to stand across the path of the lower end of the pin 7, in relation to its rot-ation, when the cap is turned; substantially as set forth.

5. In a bottle stopper, the combination of the stopper body 1; a cap 4; a pin 7 vertically movable in the cap; and a scotching device consisting of a head 9 adapted In testimony whereof I have signed my to stand in a central position in the stopper, name to this specification in the presence and a radial tongue part 10 projecting out of two subscribing Witnesses.

from same; the head part 9 of the sootohv PERCY J. KNIGHT. 5 ing device being adapted to be readily Witnesses:

broken from the tongue part 10; Substan- SOMERVILLE GOODALL,

tially as set forth. JOSEPH W. HUNTER.

Copies oi this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

